Get'n dirty with Jordan Sanchez

Jordan Sanchez backside 180s over lush greenery in the great Northwest.

The Pacific Northwest has always been home to many talented skateboarders (Silas Baxter-Neil, Tyler Bledsoe, Matt Beach and David Gravette are a few that come to mind). But with the year-round rain and tough terrain, it's definitely hard to get any sort of recognition in the skate world.

Despite the obstacles, over the last few years Snohomish, Washington's own Jordan Sanchez has been making a name for himself. And after this year's sudden downfall of Sanchez's long time board sponsor Manik Skateboards, it didn't take long for Sanchez to find a new home over at BLVD skateboards. Following the release of his "Welcome to the Team" video, Comune clothing asked him to ride for the brand. Recently, Sanchez finished working on a full-length video part for BLVD's "Amburger" feature that just hit the web on September 28th.

ESPN.com: How old are you and how long have you been skateboarding for?Sanchez: I am 26 years old and have been skateboarding for about 15 years.

For years you were riding for Manik Skateboards based out of the Northwest. They seemed to have a really strong following, so why did it suddenly go out of business?
Manik was an awesome company from head to toe. The graphics were unique, the skateboarders were skilled and creative and the people behind the scenes were workhorses. I loved riding for Manik and was really bummed when it was all over. I just feel like people's ideas and ambitions change eventually and it's true -- all good things must come to an end.

This past February you found yourself on BLVD Skateboards. How'd that come about?
I think Rob [Gonzales] and Danny [Montoya] had heard that Manik stopped production and that I wasn't getting boards from anyone. I had known Rob through Adidas and he just hit me up one day and sent me some boards to try out. Skated hard for a few months and released the "Welcome to the Team" video.

Rumor is you filmed that whole part in a matter of weeks. Any truth to that?
I would say that video represents a few months of skating, with the bulk of the footage coming from a 10 day trip I took to Santa Monica to visit filming extraordinaire, Shane Auckland.

When you find yourself down in California are you surprised by how smooth the spots are? Or do you end up getting home sick missing all your crusty spots back home?
It's refreshing and fun to skate such smooth spots down in Southern California for sure. Spots down there are definitely easier to skate but you won't be psyched unless you do something really, really hard on them. The spots I like to skate the most are the opposite of that. [Like spots that are] really hard to skate so you are hyped on anything you are able to land on it.

Garric Ray

Jordan Sanchez, front feeble on Jersey barrier.

So why don't you pack it up and move down south? Isn't it easier to "make it" as a pro skateboarder in California?
It is easier to make it as a skateboarder living in California because a good chunk of the industry is down there and you can physically ride your skateboard more days out of the year. For me living here though, it goes beyond just skateboarding. My whole family lives out here. My wife and I own a house and small business out here, and I have a lot of good friends to skate with. The rain is part of the reason why I love living here as a skateboarder. It teaches you to take advantage of every single day that the weather allows you to ride your skateboard outside.

Will the Pacific Northwest ever be a hot spot for skateboarders?
I don't know about a 'hot spot' for skateboarding, but the Northwest has a lot to offer. I feel like I hear of people visiting, falling in love with the area, and then moving here all the time.

Outside of skateboarding what do you do for work? I remember you saying something about you and your wife owning a coffee shop?
I had worked as an engineer for Verizon NW for the last few years and was recently laid off. I am currently on unemployment just skating as much as I can. My wife Anah and I do own an Espresso Stand in Lake Stevens, where we live. Anah manages every aspect of the business and works there as well. She's a boss.

Even though you've just dropped two video parts in a matter of months, are you currently working on any new video projects at the moment?
We're working on a new BLVD video that is going to focus mostly on the amateurs, I believe. It should be done sometime in the summer and I am sure it's going to be rad. Also, next year there will be a new full length "Vic's Market" video coming out.

What does the rest of 2012 have in store for you? Any big trips or plans?
I am going down to LA next month for a couple weeks, but other than that no big skate trips in the near future. I just plan on enjoying every minute of skating and enjoying the outdoors with all my friends and family.

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